Frictionally held burner plug insert for gas lighters



Oct. 31, 1967 v P. RABE ETAL 3,350,016

FRICTIONALLY HELD BURNER PLUG INSERT FOR GAS LIGHTERS Filed July 16, 1965 INVENTORS,

PETER RABE, ROLF EIMECKE United States Patent 3,350,016 FRICTIONALLY HELD BURNER PLUG INSERT FOR GAS LIGHTERS Peter Rabe, Muhlheim am Main, and Rolf Eimecke, Offenbach-Binge], Germany, assignors to Heinn'ch Maitner G.m.b.H., Offenbach am Main, Germany Filed June 16, 1965, Ser. No. 472,619 Claims priority, application Germany, July 25, 1964,

M 61,877 Claims. (Cl. 239552) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A burner for gas lighters having a conduit provided with a gas conveying bore having a first portion of smaller cross-sectional area and an outlet portion of larger crosssectional area, and a plug received in the outlet portion and having a gas-discharging passage registering with the first portion of the bore, such plug defining with the surrounding portion of the conduit at least one gas-discharging channel and being spaced from the first portion of the bore so that the innermost zone of the outlet portion forms a chamber through which fuel entering from the first portion flows into the passage and into the channel.

The present invention relates to gas lighters in general, and more particularly to an improved burner for such lighters. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in burners of the type which can produce a main flame and at least one pilot flame.

It is well known that the flame which is produced on ignition of a rapidly escaping stream of highly compressed butane or other gaseous fuel is likely to tear, whereupon the fuel escapes without ignition. In order to avoid such uncontrolled extinguishing of the flame, many burners for gas lighters produce a main flame and a pilot flame which is obtained on ignition of a relatively slowly escaping stream of gaseous fuel and is much more stable than the main flame. The pilot flame is immediately adjacent to the main flame so that it can reignite the rapidly escaping fuel stream if the main flame is extinguished against the will of the user. A serious drawback of presently known lighters whose burners produce a main flame and a pilot flame is that they' are very expensive, complicated and not fully reliable. This is due, at least in part, to the fact that the dimensions of the burner are very small and also because a considerable amount of precision work is needed to properly locate and to properly control the speed of fuel streams which are to form the two flames. For example, it was already proposed to place a relatively small tubular nipple into the bore which conveys compressed gaseous fuel from a tank to the outlet of the burner, and to install the nipple with at least some lateral play so that a main stream of fuel will pass through the bore of the nipple and a secondary stream of fuel will flow around the nipple to produce the pilot flame. However, and since the nipple is inserted with lateral play, the passage for the escape of fuel which will produce the pilot flame is not defined with requisite precision. It is also known to utilize a collar which surrounds with certain clearance the outlet of the burner and to provide the burner with one or more bores which divert fuel into the space immediately surrounded by the collar. Such solutions present problems in connection with proper sealing of the inner end of the collar and the drilling of several bores in a tiny conduit requires much time, complicated machinery and skilled labor.

Accordingly, it is an important object of our present invention to provide a very simple and reliable burner for gas lighters which will invariably produce one or more pilot flames and wherein the quantity of gaseous fuel which is to produce the pilot flame or flames may be determined with utmost accuracy.

Another object of the invention is to provide a burner of the just outlined characteristics which may be mass produced at a very low cost and in relatively inexpensive machines, and which may produce any desired number of pilot flames as well as one or more main flames.

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel conduit which forms part of the improved burner and serves to convey gaseous fuel to the actual burning station.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a burner which may be readily installed in all or nearly all existing types of gas burners, which may be used for burning different types of gaseous fuel, and which can be constructed and assembled in such a way that the exact location of the pilot flame or flames with reference to the igniter and/or one or more main flames may be adjusted in a very simple and time-saving manner.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a novel fuel distributor which may be used in a burner of the above outlined characteristics.

A further object of the invention is to provide a burner which requires no washers, gaskets, rings and other types of sealing elements.

Briefly stated, one feature of our invention resides in the provision of a novel and improved burner for gas lighters. The burner comprises a conduit which is provided with a gas-conveying bore having a first portion of smaller cross-sectional area and an outlet portion of larger cross-sectional area, and a fuel distributor which may resemble a plug and is received and retained in the outlet portion. The plug has at least one centrally located gas discharging passage which is in registry with the first portion of the bore in the conduit so that the major part of gaseous fuel issuing from the first portion may flow directly into such passage or passages to form the main flame or flames when the fuel is ignited. The plug defines with the surrounding portion of the conduit at least one substantially axially extending fuel-discharging channel and is spaced from the first portion of the bore in the conduit so that the innermost zone of the outlet portion forms a chamber through which the fuel can flow directly into the aforementioned passage or passages of the plug and through which the fuel also flows into each channel but with at least some lateral deflection so that, on ignition, the stream or streams of slowly advancing fuel which issues from such channel or channels will form one or more pilot flames adjacent to the main flame or flames.

The plug may be press-fitted, screwed, glued or otherwise rigidly fixed in the outlet portion of the bore, and the channel or channels may be formed by peripheral grooves provided in a cylindrical plug, or by one or more segment-shaped channels provided between the periphery of a polygonal or in part polygonal and in part cylindrical plug and the cylindrical surface surrounding the outlet portion of the bore in the conduit.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved burner itself, however, both as to its construction and the mode of assembling the same, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through a gas lighter whose burner is constructed and assembled in accordance with a first embodiment of our invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse horizontal section through the gated metallic conduit or tube 1 having an axially extending cylindrical bore including a first portion 2 of smaller cross-sectional area and an outlet portion 12 of larger cross-sectional area. A third portion 2a of the cylindrical bore in the conduit 1 receives the outer end portion of an elongated cylindrical valve member 3 having an axially extending blind bore 3a which communicates with the first portion 2. Adjacent to its closed lower end, the bore 3a communicates with a radially extending fuel-admitting port 11 leading to a compartment 7 which accommodates an annular valve seat 6a provided at the discharge end of a supply pipe 6 serving to feed compressed gaseous fuel from a tank, not shown. The lower end of the valve member 3 carries a sealing disk -5 which is biased against the seat 6a by a helical valve spring 8. This spring is accommodated in the compartment 7 and operates between an annular collar 3b of the valve member 3 and an annular sealing element 8a surrounding the valve member and serving to prevent leakage of fuel from the valve housing 4. The means for moving the sealing disk 5 away from the seat 6a of the supply pipe 6 comprises an arm having a bifurcated terminal portion 9 which straddles the valve member 3 just below the lower end of the conduit 1. The arm 10 may be actuated by thumb-lever action to move upwardly, as viewed in FIG. 1, and to lift the disk 5 against the bias of the spring 8 so that compressed fuel admitted by the supply pipe 6 may fill the compartment 7 and flows through the port 11 into the bore 3a and upwardly into and through the first portion 2 of the bore in the conduit 1. As soon as the arm 10 is released, the spring 8 is free to expand and returns the disk 5 into sealing engagement with the seat 6a to terminate the admission of compressed fuel into the bore of the conduit 1.

A feature of our present invention resides in such configuration of the bore in the conduit 1 that the crosssectional area of the outlet portion 12 exceeds the crosssectional area of the first portion 2. The outlet portion 12 accommodates a relatively short fuel distributor here shown as a plug 13 of polygonal cross section which is inserted in such a way that its four axially extending corner portions 13a engage the cylindrical internal surface of the surrounding portion of the conduit 1 with at least some friction. In other words, the plug 13 may be press-fitted into the outlet portion 12 with a force which suflices to prevent its ejection in response to the pressure of escaping fuel when the disk 5 is lifted off the annular valve seat 6. The four corner portions 13a of the plug 13 are preferably rounded to provide for a greater area of contact with the surface surrounding the outlet portion 12.

The axial length of the plug 13 is less than the axial length of the outlet portion 12, and the exposed outer end face 131) of the plug is flush with the exposed outer end face 1a of the conduit 1; therefore, the inner end face 16 of the plug is spaced from the first portion 2 of the bore in the conduit 1 and the innermost zone 18 of the outlet portion forms a relatively short cylindrical chamber which serves to deliver fuel to an axially extending passage 14 provided in the plug 13 and registering with the first portion 2. The chamber 18 also supplies gaseous fuel to four channels which are defined by the facets of the plug 13 and by the surrounding internal surface of the conduit 1. The major percentage of fuel issuing from the first portion 2 will pass directly into and through the axial passage 14 of the plug 13, and the ignition of such fuel will result in the formation of a main flame.

The streams of fuel entering the channels 15 will fiow at a reduced speed (due to deflection at the inner end face 16 of the plug 13) and, on ignition, such streams will produce four pilot flames which surround the main flame and which immediately ignite the fuel issuing from the axial passage 14 in the event that the main flame is extinguished for whatever uncontrollable reason. The axial distance between the inner end face 16 of the plug 13 and the internal annular shoulder 17 of the conduit 1 is normally less than the axial length of the plug.

It is clear that the conduit 1 may be provided with a bore whose outlet portion is of polygonal cross-sectional outline to receive a truly cylindrical plug. In such burners, each channel defined by the cylindrical plug and the surface surrounding the plug is bounded by two mutually inclined axially extending flat surfaces and by an arcuate surface forming part of the periphery of the plug. At the present time, we prefer top rovide the conduit 1 with a bore having an outlet portion of circular cross-sectional outline because such bores are easy to form. The plug 13 preferably consists of rolled or drawn metallic stock which is produced in great lengths and is subdivided into shorter sections.

It is also clear that the plug 13 may be provided with two or more axially extending passages 14 which are in substantial registry with the first portion 2 of the bore in the conduit 1 so that the burner will produce two or more main flames.

The outlet portion 12 may be machined into the conduit 1 by resorting to a drilling, pressing or stamping machine. Once the plug 13 is properly installed in the outlet portion 12, the burner is ready for use and its conduit 1 need not be provided with radial bores, ports, cutouts or similar passages which can be formed only in complicated machines by skilled operators and at considerable cost. The chamber 18 invariably insures satisfactory distribution of fuel and the deflection during flow from the first portion to theintake ends of the channels 15 suflices to insure very stable pilot flames.

FIG. 3 illustrates a modified burner whose conduit 1 is constructed in exactly the same way as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, the plug 13 is replaced by a truly cylindrical plug 19 having an axially extending passage 14 which registers with the first portion 2 (not shown) of the bore in the conduit 1. The plug 19 is Press-fitted into the outlet portion 12 and its peripheral surface is provided with four equidistant axially extending channels or grooves 20 whose inner ends communicate with the chamber 18. The grooves 20 convey four streams of gaseous fuel which will produce four pilot flames whereas the fuel flowing at a much higher speed through the axial passage 14' of the plug 19 will produce a main flame.

It will be readily understood that the plug 13 and/ or 19 may be provided with external threads and that the outlet portion 12 may constitute a tapped bore so that the plug may be readily screwed into the conduit 1. This might be of advantage if the plug must be removed for the purpose of cleaning or replacement.

Referring finally to FIG. 4, there is shown a burner which is quite similar to the burner of FIG. 3 with the exception that the plug 21 is a body resembling in part the plug 13 and in part the plug 19, Thus, the plug 21 is generally cylindrical and is screwed or press-fitted into the outlet portion 12 of the bore in the conduit 1. However, the peripheral surface of the plug comprises a single flat facet 22 located in a plane which is parallel with the axis of the conduit 1 so that the plug 21 and the surrounding portion of the conduit 1 define between themselves a single channel 23 of segment-shaped cross section. The axial passage 14 of the plug 21 registers with the axially extending first portion 2 of the bore provided in the conduit 1.

The burner of FIG. 4 is preferred in many types of lighters wherein a single pilot flame should be nearer to the igniter than the main flame so that the rather slowly escaping secondary or diverted stream of gaseous fuel issuing from the eccentrically positioned channel 23 is ignited prior to ignition of the major part of fuel which issues at high speed through the axial passage 14" of the plug 21.

While We have disclosed and shown burners wherein the plug 13, 19 or 21 is press-fitted or screwed into the outlet portion 12 of the bore in the corresponding conduit 1, it is clear that such plugs may be retained in their conduits in other ways, for example, by resorting to a suitable adhesive, by upsetting certain portions of the plugs and the adjoining portions of the conduits, by resorting to screws or pins, or in any other suitable manner.

A very important advantage of our burner is that there is no need to provide any seals between the conduit 1 and the plug because the plug is installed directly in an enlarged portion of the bore in the conduit. Thus, fuelv issuing from the first portion 2 can escape only through the axial passage 14, 14' or 14 and/ or through the channel or channels 15, 20 or 23. In other words, there is no uncontrolled escape of fuel.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of our contribution to the art and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A burner for gas lighters, comprising a conduit provided with a gas-conveying bore having a first portion of smaller cross-sectional area and an outlet portion of larger cross-sectional area; and a plug received in said outlet portion and having a gas-discharging passage registering with the first portion of said bore, said plug defining with the surrounding portion of said conduit at least one gas-discharging channel and being spaced from the first portion of said bore so that the innermost zone of said outlet portion forms a chamber through which fuel entering from said first portion flows into said passage and into said channel, the inner end of said gas-discharging channel communicating with said chamber being laterally offset from said first portion of said bore so that the gas which flows from said first portion of said bore into said channel is compelled to change its direction of flow, whereby the speed of the gas issuing from said channel is reduced and is substantially below the speed of gas issuing from said passage.

2. A burner for gas lighters, comprising a conduit provided with a gas-conveying bore having a first portion of smaller cross-sectional area and an outlet portion of larger cross-sectional area; and a plug received with friction in said outlet portion and having a gas-discharging passage registering with the first portion of said bore, said plug defining with the surrounding portion of said conduit at least one gas-discharging channel and being spaced from the first portion of said bore so that the innermost zone of said outlet portion forms a chamber through which fuel entering from said first portion flows into said passage and into said channel, the inner end of said gas-discharging channel communicating with said chamber being laterally offset from said first portion of said bore so that the gas which flows from said first portion of said bore into said channel is compelled to change its direction of flow, whereby the speed of the gas issuing from said channel is reduced and is substantially below the speed of gas issuing from said passage.

3. A burner for gas lighters, comprising a conduit provided with a gas-conveying bore having a first portion of smaller cross-sectional area and an outlet portion of larger cross-sectional area; and a plug received in said outlet portion and having a gas-discharging passage registering with the first portion of said bore, said plug defining -with the surrounding portion of said conduit at least one gas-discharging channel spaced downstream and laterally offset from the first portion of said bore so that the innermost zone of said outlet portion forms a chamber through which fuel entering from said first portion flows into said passage and into said channel, said plug and said conduit having coplanar exposed end faces and said end face of said plug constituting means for compelling the gas which flows from said first portion of said bore into said channel to change its direction of flow and to move laterally toward said channel for entry thereinto, whereby the speed of the gas issuing from said channel is reduced and is substantially below the speed of gas issuing from said passage.

4. A burner for gas lighters, comprising a conduit provided with a gas-conveying bore having a first portion of smaller cross-sectional area and an outlet portion of larger cross-sectional area; and a plug of drawn metallic stock received in said outlet portion and having a gasdischarging passage. registering with the first portion of said bore, said plug defining with the surrounding portion of said conduit at least one gas-discharging channel and being spaced from the first portion of said bore so that the innermost zone of said outlet portion forms a chamber through which fuel entering from said first portion flows into said passage and into said channel, the inner end of said gas-discharging channel communicating with said chamber being laterally oifset from said first portion of said bore so that the gas which flows from said first portion of said bore into said channel is compelled to change its direction of flow, whereby the speed of the gas issuing from said channel is reduced and is substantially below the speed of gas issuing from said passage.

5. A burner for gas lighters, comprising a conduit provided with a gas-conveying bore having a first portion of smaller cross-sectional area and an outlet portion of larger cross-sectional area and of circular outline; and a plug of polygonal cross section received in said outlet portion and having a gas-discharging passage registering with the first portion of said bore, said plug defining with the surrounding portion of said conduit a plurality of gas-discharging channels and being spaced from the first portion of said bore so that the innermost zone of said outlet portion forms a chamber through 'which fuel entering from said first portion flows into said passage and into said channels, said plug further having a plurality of axially extending corner portions frictionally engaging the surrounding portion of said conduit, the inner end of said gas-discharging channel communicating with said chamber being laterally offset from said first portion of said bore so that the gas which flows from said first portion of said bore into said channel is compelled to change its direction of flow, whereby the speed of the gas issuing from asid channel is reduced and is substantially below the speed of gas issuing from said passage.

6. A burner for gas lighters, comprising a conduit provided with an axial gas-conveying bore having a first portion of smaller cross-sectional area and an outlet portion of larger cross-sectional area; and a distributor plug received in said outlet portion and having an axial passage accurately aligned with the first portion of said bore, said distributor plug defining with the surrounding portion of said conduit at least one axially extending channel and said distributor being spaced from said first portion so that the innermost zone of said outlet portion forms a chamber through which the fuel issuing from said first portion flows to said passage and to said channel, the inner end of said gas-discharging channel communicating with said chamber being laterally offset from said first portion of said bore so that the gas which flows from said first portion of said bore into said channel is compelled to change its direction of flow, whereby the speed of the gas issuing 7 from said channel is reduced and is substantially below the speed of gas issuing from said passage.

7. A burner as set forth in claim 6, wherein said distributor plug has a peripheral surface and said portion of said conduit has an internal surface surrounding said peripheral surface, one of said surfaces being of cylindrical outline and the other surface being of polygonal outline so that said distributor plug and said conduit define a plurality of channels.

8. A burner for gas lighters, comprising a conduit provided with an axially extending gas-conveying bore including a first portion of smaller cross-sectional area and an outlet portion of larger cross-sectional area, said outlet portion being bounded by a cylindrical surface of said conduit; and a distributor plug having a cylindrical peripheral surface snugly telescoped into said internal surface, the axial length of said distributor plug being less than the axial length of said outlet portion and said distributor plug being spaced from said first portion so that the innermost zone of said outlet portion forms a chamber which communicates with said first portion, said distributor plug further having an axially extending passage which is aligned with said first portion and one of said surfaces being provided with at least one axially extending groove which communicates with said chamber so that some fuel issuing from said first portion may flow directly into said passage and that at least one secondary stream of fuel can escape from said chamber through said groove, the inner end of said gas-discharging channel communicating with said chamber being laterally offset from said first portion of said bore so that the gas which flows from said first portion of said bore into said channel is compelled to change its direction of flow, whereby the speed of the gas issuing from said channel is reduced and is substantially below the speed of gas issuing from said passage.

9. A burner for gas lighters, comprising a conduit provided with an axially extending gas-conveying bore including a first portion of smaller cross-sectional area and an outlet portion of larger cross-sectional area, said outlet portion being bounded by a cylindrical surface of said conduit; and a distributor plug having a cylindrical peripheral surface snugly telescoped into said internal surface, the axial length of said distributor plug being less than the axial length of said outlet portion and said distributor plug being spaced from said first portion so that the innermost zone of said outlet portion forms a chamber which communicates with said first portion, said distributor plug further having an axially extending passage which is aligned with said first portion and said peripheral surface including at least one axially extending fiat facet so that said facet defines with the adjoining portion of said internal surface an axially extending segmentshaped channel which communicates with said chamber, the inner end of said gas-discharging channel communicating with said chamber being laterally offset from said first portion of said bore so that the gas which flows from said first portion of said bore into said channel is compelled to change its direction of flow, whereby the speed of the gas issuing from said channel is reduced and is substantially below the speed of gas issuing from said passage.

10. In a gas lighter, tubular valve member having a discharge end and arranged to supply streams of compressed gaseous fuel at the will of the user; and a burner including a conduit provided with an axially extending bore including a first portion of smaller cross-sectional area which communicates with the discharge end of said valve member and an outlet portion of larger cross-sectional area; and a distributor plug rigidly received in said outlet portion and having an axial passage registering with said first portion so that some fuel issuing from said first portion can enter said passage without lateral deflection, said distrbutor plug defining with the surrounding portion of said conduit at least one axially extending channel and said distributor plug being spaced from said first portion so that the innermost zone of said outlet portion forms a chamber through which fuel issuing from said first portion can flow directly into said passage and through which the remainder of fuel flows toward and through said channel to issue from said channel, the inner end of said gas-discharging channel communicating with said chamber being laterally offset from said first portion of said bore so that the gas which flows from said first portion of said bore into said channel is compelled to change its direction of flow, whereby the speed of the gas issuing from said channel is reduced and is substantially below the speed of gas issuing from said passage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 407,323 7/1889 Barker 239-552 X 748,608 1/1904 Hueni 239--552 843,945 2/1907 Hoover 239-552 1,423,750 7/1922 Brombacher 239552 1,863,100 9/1931 Coleman 239552 X 1,932,740 10/1933 Kerr 239-552 2,468,824 5/1949 Hughey 239-552 2,677,948 5/1954 Gehrie 67-7.l

FOREIGN PATENTS 23,291 5/ 1921 France.

M. HENSON WOOD 111., Primary Examiner.

V. C. WILKS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BURNER FOR GAS LIGHTERS, COMPRISING C CONDUIT PROVIDED WITH A GAS-CONVEYING BORE HAVING A FIRST PORTION OF SMALLER CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AND AN OUTLET PORTION OF LARGER CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA; AND A PLUG RECEIVED IN SAID OUTLET PORTION AND HAVING A GAS-DISCHARGING PASSAGE REGISTERING WITH THE FIRST PORTION OF SAID BORE, SAID PLUG DEFINING WITH THE SURROUNDING PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT AT LEAST ONE GAS-DISCHARGING CHANNEL AND BEING SPACED FROM THE FIRST PORTION OF SAID BORE SO THAT THE INNERMOST ZONE OF SAID OUTLIET PORTION FORMS A CHAMBER THROUGH WHICH FUEL ENTERING FROM SAID FIRST PORTION FLOWS INTO SAID PASSAGE AND INTO SAID CHANNEL, THE INNER END OF SAID GAS-DISCHARGING CHANNEL COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER BEING LATERALLY OFFSET FROM SAID FIRST PORTION OF SAID BORE SO THAT THE GAS WHICH FLOWS FROM SAID FIRST PORTION OF SAID BORE INTO SAID CHANNEL IS COMPLETED TO CHANGE ITS DIREC- 